Lost Souls
by marashapeshifter
Summary: An unlikely partnership forms after the Carnival.
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't planning on this but I saw kouya's fanart on deviantART and just _had _to write it. I was working on Remember the Enemy, I swear! B-but pwetty picture... Well, I put a link to it on my profile. I didn't capture Shiho as well as I would have liked though, she still has a bit of growing up to do. Next update may take a while since I have a lot of other stuff planned. Gomen, I know people will be unhappy if I keep starting stuff but don't finish them right away.

**Lost Souls - Chapter 1**

**by Mara S. S.  
**

The day I stopped calling him onii-chan was also the day I met her.

I didn't go to class that day. I was quite proud of that fact in a weird kind of way. I ran through the empty school grounds, not caring if anyone saw me through the classrooms' windows. Let them talk. It meant nothing to me anymore.

I wanted to hit something - anything - so I wouldn't be the only one hurting. I wanted to die. I wanted him to hurt! I wanted to see _him _suffer. I wanted to see _him_ crying.

I wanted to watch him standing over my coffin and blaming himself for my death. _"If only I'd loved Shiho... If only I hadn't chosen Mai..."_ Oh yes. Then he'd remember all the times I'd been there for him. The time he got that injury and I was the only one who stayed by his side. He'd remember how I alone defended him when he was at his worst. He'd feel guilty for leaving me and he'd be scrambling to make it up to me, but by then I'd be dead. He'd realize it's really me that he loves. Me, me! Me and not Mai!

I gave him everything! I would have given him my life, I would have given him my... my first time. I tried, I tried, I tried so hard to make him see that he loves me. But then Mai came along and stole him away from me. When she promised she wouldn't! And he went along with it, the traitor. It should have been me!

How dare he expect me to be okay with it?! Friends?! Never! I hated him, and I hated Mai, and I hated myself, and I hated the world that allowed something this unfair to happen!

I was running, running, running. I was running through the garden and the flowers wilted away. I was running through the empty field and the grass turned into dust. I was running through the forest and the trees rose up to cover me. I was running, away from him, away from myself, away from this world, until... I ran into _her_.

"What the?! Get off me!"

I scrambled to get up. My vision was blurry, my eyes must have been red and puffed up. I wanted to keep running, running, and running, but something about her made me stop and catch my breath.

It was Nao that I bumped into. I'd seen her before, with the other HiMEs, but we've never really talked.

She stood up and brushed the dust away from the back of her skirt. "Oi. What do you think you're doing here?" She asked me, annoyance radiating from her entire body.

Still angry and miserable from what had happened earlier that day, I could only shrug.

She looked at me for a long moment. Then she sighed, the annoyance dissipated, and she assumed a more nonchalant air. "Here."

She threw a handkerchief at me and I hurried to catch it before it fell. I wiped my eyes. They felt raw, and I half expected to see I'd wiped away blood. But there was no such thing. It was just ordinary tears.

I looked up to see her with a smug smile. "That's better. You look ugly when you cry."

"He-Hey!" I protested indignantly. My thoughts veered away from _him _and instead turned towards the rude girl in front of me.

She laughed. "Hmm. Angry's better but... not much of an improvement." She said flippantly.

I scowled and ignored the insult. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?" I indicated the forest we were in, it was the one at the outskirts of the school.

She raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking _you _that. What were you running from anyway?"

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. "I wasn't running." I said defensively. It was none of her business.

"Whatever." She snorted. Then she turned and started walking away.

Panic suddenly gripped me as I realized I was all alone. I was rarely alone, I was usually with _him_, clinging on to him, the one who was once my prince. But now... I was alone, literally and figuratively.

"Where are you going?" I demanded, running after her. She was better than nothing.

I could see her glance back at me but she didn't slow her pace. Maybe it was my imagination, or an illusion of the surrounding trees, but it seemed as if she even moved faster.

I was breathing hard by the time I caught up to her. "Wait up! Hey! Where are you going?"

She slowed down. "Getting out of school, obviously."

I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to go back to school either. _He _would be there and I didn't want to see him. I didn't want to see him looking at Mai and holding Mai when it should have been me, me, me. So impulsively, I asked her, "Can I go with you?"

"Suit yourself." She answered, then she resumed her brisk pace. I followed along beside her, lost in the endless forest. But she seemed to know where she was going and sure enough, we quickly came to a stone wall. I began to hear the sounds of people talking and cars rushing by so I guessed we must be at the edge of the school grounds.

I watched as she approached a tree that grew right against the wall. She nimbly leaped onto a branch and shimmied over to the wall. "Well, are you coming?" She demanded impatiently.

I dubiously eyed the tree. "Can you help me up?"

She rolled her eyes. "You can do it yourself."

Anger stirred once more. It raged against the unfairness of it all. Just once, I wanted something to go right for me. _He_ already broke my heart this morning! Didn't I deserve any sympathy?!

She was standing precariously on the wall now. "If you won't get up yourself, I'm just gonna leave you there." She warned me, and she seemed serious.

I gulped and took a deep breath. If I broke my neck it would all be _his _fault, and I wanted that didn't I? To have him feel guilty about my death so he would repent of his choosing Mai.

I jumped and felt the tips of my fingers brush against the rough branch. I clutched at it with both hands and found myself swinging dangerously above the ground. "A little help here?!" I screamed frantically.

She sighed in exasperation. "Let go of the branch with one hand and swing it over the branch so you'll have a better grip. Yes, like that. Now the other one. Good. Now pull yourself up."

I did as she instructed and I was shaking by the time I got safely up. I looked at her once more, hating her for making me do it myself.

She just looked back at me impatiently and waved me forward. With the ground far below I had no choice but to inch forward until I reached the wall. I awkwardly climbed down onto it.

I was sitting on the wall with my entire body trembling while she sat comfortably beside me. She watched me with an air of amusement, her legs swinging back and forth, kicking the helpless wall. I almost felt like crying again in the face of her apathy. The world seemed to care nothing for me that day.

People were walking by on the sidewalk and a couple of cars passed by. There was a dumpster right below us, that must have been why she chose that spot. She jumped down and I clumsily imitated her.

She laughed once I was standing on the sidewalk beside her. "Congratulations. You are now officially a delinquent student." She bowed mockingly. "So. How does freedom feel?"

I looked around. No onii... No Yuichi. No Yuichi to break my heart, no Mai to ruin my life. The pain and the anger I'd been feeling since that morning dulled into a mere ache in my chest.

"It feels..." I paused, trying to find words. "It feels wonderful..." Wonderful, and kinda scary. What have I gotten myself into now?

TBC

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Disclaimer: Mai HiME © Sunrise 


	2. Chapter 2

I'm still trying to get used to Nao's voice (and Shiho's voice) so please be nice... I'm trying to catch that angry/bitter tone Nao had during the series.

**Lost Souls - Chapter 2**

How the hell did I get myself into this mess?

Look, I only showed Shiho how to get out of school because it's good form to help other delinquents break rules. If they're not trying to kill you or scratch your eyes out that is.

But this girl followed me around! I didn't ask for that, damn it.

I tried running, but she kept up with me. I tried telling her to go away, but she'd just hang back then start following me again as soon as my back was turned. I tried switching trains, but I couldn't manage to shake her. I tried taking a shortcut through the park, but she still followed me.

At that point I decided to try ignoring her. I flopped down onto a park bench and closed my eyes, hoping she'd get the hint and go away. Besides, I was sleepy.

I usually skip classes and sleep during the day because it's night time when I'm up and about. I don't do dangerous stuff anymore, not with Mama around and Julia gone. I'm not that stupid. But at night, Fuuka City is _still_ myterritory. I wasn't about to give up my nightly prowls, not anytime soon. Hence, the sleepiness.

I threw an arm over my eyes to shield myself from the sunlight. Then a little bit later, when I was beginning to think she'd left already, I suddenly felt a weight settle down on the park bench beside me. Then a light touch on my arm.

You gotta hand it to this girl, she's really persistent. Probably got the practice from running around after her onii-chan.

"What do you want...?" I grumbled, turning my body away from her and curling up against the side of the bench.

"Ano..."

I waited a while but she didn't say anything more. I could still sense her beside me though so I sighed and straightened, opening an eye to look at her. What the... An ice cream cone?

She was holding one out to me and another cone was clutched in her other hand. I briefly wondered if I could make her cry by snatching both cones. Nah. She can't be _that_ much of a crybaby.

I took the proffered cone. Mmm. Yummy. She looked at me expectantly but I refused to say anything. I wasn't about to thank her, not after the way she followed me wherever I went.

I shot her a sidelong glance. She was now nibbling at her own ice cream. There was a tentative air about her, as if she had just stepped out into the world for the first time. Like a newborn kitten. I sighed again. She looks so pathetic.

I suddenly noticed my own fingers felt cold and sticky. I quickly licked the cone to catch the melting ice cream.

I heard a small sniffle. Her eyes were still reddish. Geez, didn't she use the handkerchief I gave her earlier? Or maybe she did, in which case she must have been crying pretty damn hard. Huh. What if...

"Tate broke up with you, didn't he?" I surprised myself by saying it out loud.

Her eyes widened in shock and she stared at me. "H-how did you know?"

I snorted. "Duh. It's pretty obvious. Even an idiot could guess what happened."

"Oh..." She said, getting that lost look again. I _hate_ that look. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I've worn it too many times before.

"Though you can't exactly say he broke up with you. He never really liked you in the first place." I said cruelly. Let her either get angry or break down. Just let her stop looking so weak. "I can't _imagine _why you thought he'd like someone as pathetic as you."

She started crying. Stupid girl. If someone had told _me _what I'd just said I'd have ripped them to pieces.

I popped the rest of the cone into my mouth and crunched it down. She was still crying softly when I finished so I reached out and tugged that ridiculous hair of hers.

"Hey!" She glared at me. Finally, a decent reaction.

I smiled innocently at her. "If you won't finish that, I will." I said, pointing to the half melted ice cream trickling over her fingers.

She looked at me without answering, her eyes still filled with tears.

I shrugged. "Thanks." I took the cone from her hands and ate it before she could protest.

"Meanie." She scowled. "You're so unfair."

"Grow up, kid." I scoffed. "The _world _is unfair. Get used to it." Let her get used to it. God knows _I _did when those robbers left Mama in a coma and everyone else dead. I was much younger than her back then. She has things easy. _I_ had to face worse things and I dealt with them just fine.

She sniffed, wiping at her face furiously. Ah, so she did keep the handkerchief I gave her. "How would _you _know?" She demanded.

I finished the second ice cream and licked my fingers clean. I grinned at her and bent closer until I was almost nose to nose with her. "Would you like to find out...?" I whispered teasingly.

She blushed and scooted as far away from me as the short bench would allow. At least she'd stopped crying. Her hands were clasped in her lap and she was staring down at them.

I turned away from her and stretched, feeling the satisfying crack as everything settled back into place. I curled up on the bench once more.

I usually take short naps because I always feel like I'm going to miss something if I sleep too long. This small park is an ideal place to take naps. There's hardly any people, mostly just mothers with their young children. I have other hiding places but I like this one best because no one's likely to bother me during the day.

I was drifting off to sleep when her hesitant voice pulled me back.

"What should I do then? About onii-chan, I mean..." Shiho said hesitantly.

I groaned. Her timing sucks. But it was the smartest thing I'd heard her say that day so I felt compelled to answer. "Do you want him back?"

"N-No!! No..." She stuttered. "I... I don't know..." She sighed.

I winced because I half expected her to start crying again. But she didn't. A pleasant surprise.

"I... Besides, I don't think I _can _get him back." She whispered. "He... He's really with Mai now."

"Then kill her, and _take _him back."

She looked at me as if doubting whether I was really serious or not. I _was_. What?! It _was _the simplest solution.

She laughed bitterly. "I tried to do that last time. I just got him killed." She shook her head. "I can't ever be like Mai. It's no use trying. He..." She swallowed with difficulty. "It's Mai he likes..."

I rolled my eyes. "Then make yourself into someone he _would _like."

"What would he like?" She asked in a small, vulnerable voice.

"Well, bigger breasts for one thing." I said, pointing at her chest. It was larger than Mikoto's at least, but still nothing compared to Mai's.

She scowled, hugging herself protectively. "That's none of your business." She snapped.

"You asked." I grinned. This could be fun. "You could try to be less of a crybaby."

"I'm not..." She paused, then looked at me uncertainly. "I'll try..."

"Play hard to get." I suggested. "He'll like you better if you don't keep throwing yourself at him."

"Honestly? Or are you just kidding me?"

"Cross my heart." I said solemnly.

She nodded slowly. "Do you... really think you can do something with me?"

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Back up. Where did she get the idea that _I _would be helping her?! That's crazy. I wasn't about to get dragged into the mess she created for herself. I'm nobody's babysitter.

I was about to open my mouth to disabuse her of that crazy notion when I realized... it carried some... _interesting_ possibilities.

For one thing, goody two shoes Mai wouldn't take it well if Tate's eyes wandered back to Shiho. That alone would be worth all the effort. For another thing, I need a new hobby. Mikoto's no fun anymore, she's gotten too attached to Mai.

And most importantly... it could be fun. I suddenly realized I could use Shiho to wreak havoc once more, even if it would only be in a non-lethal way. Oh yeah. That could be fun.

"Of course." I said, giving her a lazy smile. "Come on then." I stood up, grabbed her hand, and pulled her along after me.

"Where are we going?" She asked, clutching to my hand as we ran out of the park.

I laughed at her curious but trusting expression. "You'll see..."

TBC

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Disclaimer: Mai HiME © Sunrise 


	3. Chapter 3

Hmm. If not onii-chan, would Shiho use "Tate" or "Yuichi"? Anyway, I wrote "Yuichi" here.

**Lost Souls - Chapter 3**

**by Mara S. S.**

"There, that guy."

I looked where Nao pointed. Across the street from where we stood, a middle aged man was peering through a store's glass window.

I bit my lip and shook my head. "Nao, I can't do that." I whined.

She glared at me. "Geez, if you can't even _talk_ how can you expect Tate to like you?"

"What if he says no?! Nao, I can't talk to stranger!" I said, beginning to panic. "And what does this have to do with Yuichi?" I asked, looking around anxiously. There weren't too many people around. Most were probably at work or in school.

"Just ask him the _time_, Shiho." Nao said with exaggerated patience. She looked me up and down. It made me shiver for some reason. "And be glad I'm not making you hitch a ride." Nao continued. She put her hands against the small of my back and gave me a shove.

I stumbled but caught myself then refused to move another step. Nao's so unfair. I don't see what this has to do with oni... with Yuichi. Yuichi. "Nao... I can't..."

"Good grief. You're hopeless. You have the self-confidence of a mouse." Nao buried her face in her palm.

I looked at her uncertainly, unsure of what I should do next. "Nao..."

"Fine, fine." Nao sighed. "Just... watch, 'kay?"

I nodded desperately, scared that if I made a wrong move she'd still make me go. Nao sauntered off and I watched her with a growing envy.

Nao looks so self confident so sure of herself. She crossed the street as if she expected the cars to stop and let her pass. They _did _let her pass, but there weren't too may cars around at that time so I'm not sure what that means.

I wish I could be like that. Is that the kind of person oni... Yuichi. Is that the kind of person he likes? Mai has that self confidence too, but without the mean streak Nao has.

Nao approached the man but I was too far away to hear what they said. The man pulled back his jacket sleeve to reveal a wristwatch. Then Nao said something and they both laughed. Nao put an arm around the man's waist, pressing against his side.

I swallowed hard. No matter what I do, I can't imagine myself being as brazen as Nao. Never. Never, ever. I looked around again but no one even gave me a second glance. I smoothed my skirt and nervously tugged at my hair.

The man said something again but this time Nao pulled away. She started walking towards me with a backward wave at the man. Nao had a pleased smile on her face, like a cat who got the cream.

I sighed in relief when she got back. I felt self conscious in my middle school uniform, almost as if everyone was staring at me. But standing with Nao made me worry less about other people. If anything, they'd probably notice _her _first before me.

"See, that was easy wasn't it?" Nao said with a smirk. She signaled to follow her and we started walking again. Her eyes were lively and vibrant, they kept moving, darting around, scanning the crowd.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

"My apartment." Nao answered without looking at me.

"I thought you lived in the dorms?" I frowned. Had I gotten her confused with someone else?

"Mama and I have a place of our own." She glanced at me now, and there was a touch of irritation in her look.

"Oh." I thought about it quietly, mentally reviewing everything I'd heard about Nao. I didn't know much. Her reputation as a delinquent and a flirt. Kidnapping Takumi, attacking Natsuki. Not much.

A distant part of my mind noted that she'd brought us to a seedier part of the city. The buildings looked worn down, paint peeling and signs fading. Men and women with hard eyes watch us warily. Eyes like Nao's. They kept their distance though, and Nao marched us onward without fear. I felt safe enough with Nao there.

Until Nao dragged me into an alley that is.

"H-hey!" It was dark and didn't smell too good. I wrinkled my nose. "Nao, what are we doing here?"

"Ssh, ssh." She said crossly. She took out a slim leather wallet from the pocket of her skirt. She rifled through the wallet's contents. "Cheapskate." She muttered, scowling at no one in particular.

"I should have known that guy wasn't worth it." She said absently. Nao pocketed the bills and threw the wallet into a heap of trash piled against the wall. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "What a waste of time. Come on, I have better things to do." She started to walk away.

"Nao?" I said, my voice shaky.

"Mmm?" She turned and looked at me with a touch of impatience.

"That belonged to him, didn't it. That guy you talked to?"

"So what?" She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Nao... you stole from that guy?" I never thought. I mean, I knew the reputation she has but I never expected to see her breaking, not just school rules but the _law_.

"And cutting class is something only angels do?" She said mockingly.

I winced, stung by her words. I struggled to find something to say. "But cutting class doesn't hurt anyone..." I said weakly. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. What I'd said... Looks like it made Nao _really_ angry because she suddenly exploded at me.

Nao leaned forward and grabbed my arm. "Listen, miss goody two shoes. Four walls, a roof over your head, three full meals a day. Betcha you had all that right? A pampered princess."

Not even waiting for me to nod, she continued, her voice low. "Well you have _no _idea what my life was like so don't go preaching at me. I hate it when people do that."

"I'm sorry..." I said, though I wasn't completely sure what I was saying sorry for. This was starting to scare me especially since I knew I wouldn't be able to find my way back home if Nao left me.

"Fuck you. Don't go pitying me either. I'm not like Mai." She spat out the name like it was a bad word. "I hate that kind of person even more." She looked at me, her eyes piercing. "You should have finished her off at once, you know."

"Wh... what?!" I didn't get her. Her way of thinking was a mystery to me. She's just a year older but there were lots of other things that made her difficult to know.

"Though that'd be too much to ask from you I suppose." She shook her head. "Your kind wouldn't last a _week _alone." Nao said derisively.

Something didn't sound right though. Didn't she say earlier... "Won't your mother take care of things now?" I ventured tentatively. Surely her mother would make everything okay again.

"Leave my mother out of this!" Nao hissed, her eyes going wide and angry.

I could feel myself starting to cry. "I'm just trying to understand!" I screamed back at her, sobbing hysterically. "I'm just trying... to understand. SO STOP BEING MAD AT ME!" I screamed through the tears.

I thought Nao would say something horrid and I knew that if she did I'd run away and hide. I don't know what came over me, to yell back at her like that. I shouldn't have, I shouldn't have. She'll just get even more mad at me...

But to my surprise, she just laughed. Suddenly she laughed, an abrupt about face and just as suddenly, the tension drained away. She laughed, and kept laughing, clutching her stomach and half bending over.

"Nao?" I asked uncertainly. I wiped away my tears. "Nao, are you alright?"

"Of all the times for you to grow a backbone..." She said, still laughing.

"Eh?!" I watched in surprise as Nao smiled at me affectionately.

"Hmph. So this princess has claws." She put an arm around my shoulders and steered me out of that smelly alley. "Guess there _is_ something for me to work with."

I squirmed at the close contact. Nao's arm around my shoulders wasn't unpleasant, just weird. Weird, especially since we'd just been yelling at each other.

Her expression was considering, as if she was measuring me up and finding maybe, just maybe, there was something she liked. "With a bit of advice, maybe you _could_ go up against Mai." She chuckled, her grip around me tightening. "This could actually work..."

"Uh, Nao?"

"Yeees, Shiho-chan?" She answered, her sing-song voice all flirty. I felt myself getting red.

"Fighting Mai is what got Yuichi killed." I reminded her. That was why I didn't want to fight Mai anymore. The memory of him vanishing... It wasn't something I wanted to relive.

"Hey." Nao snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Carnival over, remember? Elements gone, drama reset, everyone alive and happy again." She grinned. "Going after Tate isn't gonna kill Mai right? All's fair-"

"-in love and war." I finished the quotation. "Are you sure?"

"Trust me." Nao laughed again. And you know what? I guess I did.

Well... maybe just a bit.

TBC

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Disclaimer: Mai HiME © Sunrise 


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